Monday, April 4, 2011

Facebook Users Speak: "God exists!"

The interesting results of a simple pull:
My wife introduced me to a poll that is floating around on Facebook.  It's gotten the attention of a few hundred thousand short of three million believers, and 240k some-odd agnostics, and about the same amount of atheists.  A strikingly obvious division in opinion between the masses, while (as my wife also correctly noted), the media and the world would like us to think it is otherwise:  that somehow, we (the believers in God), are somehow a minority.  While it may not be popular among some circles to believe in Christ, or God, or whatever variation thereon, we are certainly the majority, especially here in America.

How can we reverse this?  
Trolling people does not help.  Spamming "God is good" or "Jesus loves you" is not a well thought out response, or in anyway motivational to people not of our faith.  Attacking people for their asinine arguments against the existence of God or the evidence of His existence is equally asinine.  So what can we do?  We know that God exists, and that His Son paid the price for our sins.  This belief is directly linked to the belief of good and bad, righteousness and evil.  Something I believe others are trying so desperately to refute.  The proud hate being called out on their errors or sins and to repentance.

How can we help others to believe?  
The first thing missionaries learn in the field, before lessons or languages is that the Holy Spirit is at the center of it all.  No lasting conversion can or will happen without the intervention of the Holy Ghost.  Inviting this into our lives and into our speech and conversations with those who do not believe is of utmost importance.  Therein lies the key:  We do not need to fight, attack, belittle, or condescend but to invite the Spirit into the lives of those we love as our brothers and sisters who simply have forgotten where they came from and who they truly are:  children of our Heavenly Father, who loves them so very much.  Zion was organized by those who became one in heart and mind, united in their love for the Savior and each other.  "Zion: the pure in heart."  I feel as though, that those who fight against God in this way are simply fighting against the establishment of Zion here on earth again.  

Finally,
We must always to be ready always to testify and share how we ourselves know.  Being prepared also means knowing what we ourselves believe.  The scriptures are there, and are filled with the words, testimonies of the prophets, Apostles and disciples of Christ. There is no argument, no idea, no philosophy, nor falsehood that hasn't been thought up before. While science may have given us iPod's, cars, spaceflight, the internet, the LHC, and myriad other modern conveniences: we must remember that all such things are based on inspiration from our Heavenly Father.  Blessings from the intervention and inspiration from a loving Heavenly Father, not just inventions of the "measure of all things".  New ideas and inventions are constantly being developed at an ever increasing rate, the Lord will only ever run out of things to give to us when we receive all He has to give.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been taught in all ages, and is the same and as ancient as all creation.  It is to that which we must adhere through it all.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Saying thanks

So I'm not very good at saying thanks.  I mean when someone opens the door for me, sure, "thank you", and a quick nod.  When Ashley Iwertz tutors me in probability, "thanks for the help." But when it comes to really showing thanks I'd have to say it amounts to a sincere head-bob and a smile for me. 

Its just on my mind because Stepheni is finishing up a four hour thank you card Marathon, with three carefully designed thank you cards for her teachers and principal from the school she student taught at.  They really do look good, and I know she expresses her gratitude sincerely when she does that type of thing.  I'm on the receiving end quite often myself.

That being said, being grateful is very important.  Not just for the favors someone does for us, and not just for the blessings we receive either, but all things that will be for our good.  Which, if we believe in Christ, will be everything that happens to us.  This is hard and immensely difficult sometimes.  Who loves or is grateful for a cold, or constipation?  Or a little sister that wont leave us alone so I can get back to my game.  Or even tragedies of any kind.  I don't have it figured out yet, but I hear that as we seek to be more like Christ and follow him, one day we will see that all things were part of the lord's plan for our eternal destiny and happiness by his side.